


Absentee

by acciss



Category: Guilty Gear
Genre: Established Relationship, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-16 13:38:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10572420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acciss/pseuds/acciss
Summary: In the throes of a teenage tantrum, Sin runs away from home. Sol and Ky try to find him.





	

Sin Kiske was not in his bedroom.

Ky had rapped on Sin’s door as he passed on his way to kitchen, letting him know that breakfast was ready. He sat reading the morning paper, sipping tea and picking at a pastry while Sol devoured a plate of bacon and eggs. He always made a point to eat breakfast with Sin and Sol when they were at the castle, and he was feeling Sin’s absence. Forty five minutes passed with no sign of him.

‘Did you happen to see Sin this morning?’

‘No.’ Sol’s mouth was full, and he was definitely more interested in finishing his plate than talking to Ky.

He stood and went to check Sin’s bedroom again. He knocked once, twice, called his name, and then opened the door. The curtains were still pulled shut, the bed unmade, but there was no one in the room. Ky made his way to the kitchen, glancing in at the dining room on his way to verify that Sin hadn’t slipped past while he was checking on him. Ky peered around the door to the kitchen, expecting to see Sin stood stuffing his face amidst the flurry of activity, but he wasn’t there. He checked the gardens, the skywalk, the court, anywhere he could remember seeing Sin in the past few months. He was nowhere to be found.

‘I can’t find Sin.’ Ky pronounced, back in the dining hall. Sol gave him an incredulous look and returned to his slice of toast.

‘I’m serious. I’ve checked all of his usual haunts, but I can’t find him anywhere.’ Ky’s brow was furrowed, and he was pacing the length of the room.

‘You checked everywhere?’ Sol said gruffly. He wasn’t happy about this intrusion, but the last thing he wanted to deal with an anxious Ky.

‘Yes. I have a meeting scheduled in fifteen minutes, but it shouldn’t take long. Could you double check everywhere? I’ll have my guards search the entire premise while I’m gone, but you know where he would go better than them.’  Ky was handing out orders like he was in the army again. Sol knew he was genuinely worried now: he usually only reverted back to commander mode when he was freaking out about something.

‘You’re overreacting.’

‘Sol, now really isn’t the time for-’

‘Alright, fine. I’ll go. Calm the hell down, Kiske.’

‘Thanks, Sol…’ he trailed off, clearly troubled.

Ky emerged from his office after a brief meeting to find Sol leaning against the adjacent wall.

‘Any luck?’ He asked expectantly.

‘Nah. The brat’s gone.’

Ky’s face became grave.

‘You think he left of his own accord?’

Sol snorted.

‘No one has the strength nor the patience to kidnap that little shit. He ran off on his own.’

Ky just looked at him, blue eyes vexed with worry. He was starting to fiddle with the cuffs of his sleeves-Sol knew he only did this when he was especially anxious. They stood in silence for awhile, Ky continuing to fidget with his clothes while gazing pensively at nothing in particular. Eventually, he grabbed Ky by the forearm and dragged him in the direction of the outdoor courtyard that they used for sparring.

‘Sol, what? This isn’t the time for sparring, we have to think of a-’

‘I’m not standing around watching you fidget for another half hour. Come on.’

The sun was beating down on them as they clashed blades. Sol knew that this was the best way to get Ky out of his head and get him thinking clearly. Already he looked less restless as he danced past Sol’s attacks, slicing his sword through the warm spring air. As always, Sol found himself entranced by his natural grace. He wasn’t easy to impress: his own skills were virtually unparalleled, but Ky’s inherent talent and poise had always enthralled him. He was good- for a human. Not that he’d ever let him know that, of course. Ky had enough people blowing steam up his ass as it was. 

Suddenly, Ky dropped his sword to the ground and stood still, arms hanging loosely by his side.

‘Why do you think he left?’

He knew Ky was probably already aware of the answer to his own question.

‘He doesn’t like staying at the castle. Says he feels like a nuisance. Think he and you have some frictions of your own too.’

Ky looked absolutely dejected. Fuck. He hated that look.

‘He’s never been a nuisance…’ he uttered, almost to himself.

Sol barked with laughter.

‘You sure about that, Kiske?’

Ky didn’t laugh. Dammit.

‘He doesn’t wanna bother you when you’re busy. You’re always busy. You can be pretty icy with him too.’

‘Spending time with him is harder now. I can’t just put him in my lap and read to him anymore, Sol. He only seems to be interested in sparring, but he gets upset and storms off when I best him.’

‘Kid’s got big shoes to fill.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘What the hell d’you think I mean? He’s the son of _High King Ky Kiske_. Kid’s gonna be walking in your shadow his entire life. That’s why he gets pissed off when you beat him-doesn’t wanna be reminded. Your prissy lectures don’t help either.’

 Ah. Not only had Ky failed Sin, but Sol knew his own son better than him. He felt jealousy twisting in his gut like a knife. Envy was one of the many emotions that he had only become acquainted with once Sol barged his way into his life. He had excelled at virtually everything, until Sol sauntered into the Holy Order and beat him without even trying. It still bothered him that he would never best him, but Sol’s inhuman strength was something that he had mostly stomached over the years-albeit it not without some difficulty. But Sol, the grumpy, friendless bounty hunter, surpassing him in fathering? That wasn’t just hard to swallow, it was painful. Ky was capable of taking care of an entire nation, but somewhere along the way he’d forgotten how to show compassion for his own flesh and blood. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t care; he cared immensely. He just didn’t know how to show it. Sin was the single most important person in his life. His most cherished memories were of the times they’d spent together during Sin’s brief childhood; reading _The Marvelous Magehound_ aloud to him and hearing him bubble over with laughter, taking him for walks through the palace gardens and seeing his uncovered eye grow wide with wonder at the sight of a butterfly. Lately, the physical distance between the two had been causing rifts to form in their relationship. There was an awkwardness between them that stemmed from Sin’s changing personality, which Ky hadn’t had the chance to see take form. Nowadays, Sin seemed to Ky to be a different person every time he and Sol returned to the castle. And Ky had begun to deal with the awkwardness in the way he knew best: he climbed onto his high horse and began lecturing him. Small wonder Sin didn’t want to be around him.

 ‘Do you know where he went, Sol?’

‘Got a fair idea.’

‘Is it far?’

‘Not really.’

Ky looked down at his feet.

‘Will...you bring me there?’

‘No.’

‘But, Sol! I-what if something happens to him?!’

‘I said no, Kiske. And he’s a half-gear, remember? I’d be more worried about Sin happening to other people.’

Ky was growing more angry with every word that left Sol’s mouth.

‘He’s _missing,_ Sol! Why are you taking this so lightly?! We have to find him!’

‘You know he’s gonna come back tomorrow, right?’

‘And how do you suppose that?’

‘Shit’s normal. He’s growing up. Puberty. Mood-swings. Weren’t you ever a teenager, Ky?’

‘W-well...I mean...of course I was. But... I didn’t really get a chance to, well, fully experience those things, with the war. There wasn’t really much time for that.’

Christ. He didn’t mean to, but when Ky talked about his childhood he had a real knack for making Sol feel guilty as all hell. How was he supposed to say no to that? Sol turned and started to walk out of the yard. He didn’t need to look back to see the hurt and confusion on Ky’s face. 15 years, a crowning, and still it felt like nothing had changed between them.

‘You coming or what?’

‘Oh…’ Ky said softly, realizing where Sol was going.

He quickly picked up his sword and ran to his side. He was beaming, a rare unabashed smile that was reserved only for when Sol actually did something that he had asked. The sight was enough to cause a mild pinching in Sol’s chest. Goddamit, a man of his age and status really shouldn’t be so...cute. They were coming to the gate, and the path ahead was narrow enough that they would have to walk single file. Sol put a hand on the small of Ky’s back, partially to usher him in front, partially because he just wanted to touch him. Ky, surprised by the rare showing of semi-public intimacy and the even rarer politeness, turned back and smiled at him again.

Gah. Ky was going to turn him soft.

 They walked in silence for a while, enjoying the fresh spring air and the distant bird song. Illyria’s countryside had come along beautifully in the past few years, Ky and his team having made huge efforts to revitalize the once war-torn land.  Ky was happy to see the fruits of his labour, and even more so to have the chance to enjoy them. Time spent alone with Sol outside the confines of boardrooms and warships was also very much welcome.

‘You sure your people won’t be wondering where you are? Last thing I need is a royal search party on my ass.’

Sol broke Ky out of his reverie.

‘Ah, yes. I’ll call Gerome and let him know that I’ll be gone for the night. Nothing urgent is likely to come up in the time that I’m absent.’

Ky finished his phone call as they came to the foot of a mountain. Ky was familiar with it- it was a fairly popular tourist draw. It wasn’t really the place he had expected Sin to be hiding.

‘He’s up there?’ He asked.

‘Yeah, probably. It’ll take the night to get to the top, but it’s got a footpath most of the way up. Now, come on.’

Ky followed beside Sol silently, his thoughts trailing back to Sin.

‘How do you know he’s up there, Sol?’

‘Just a hunch. A job brought us here once. Caught him sleeping in a cave up top while he was supposed to be learning his times-tables. Beat the crap outta him for that one.’

Ky wanted to grimace at that remark, but when he saw a faint smile make it’s way across Sol’s face as he reminisced, he couldn’t help but smile too. Sin clearly meant more to Sol than he would ever be willing to admit, and seeing Sol happy made Ky feel warm.

‘You shouldn’t do that, you know.’ He said with a playful smile, lightly touching Sol’s shoulder.

Sol only grunted in response. Under the pink sunset, Ky noticed the coppery undertones in Sol’s brown hair. He smiled, and then felt a pang of melancholy. He wished everyday could be like this, the three of them drifting from place to place, vagabonds. Every time Sol and Sin left, he he suppressed his longing to tear after them, renounce his kingship and wander around with them, carefree. Ky had been born with an enormous sense of responsibility to the world, but sometimes he wanted to taste freedom the way those two did.

 ‘You know, I wonder why he didn’t choose somewhere a little more inconspicuous to hide from us.’ Ky mused.

‘He wants to be found.’

‘You think?’

‘I know. The brat’s looking for attention. That’s all this is.’

‘Ah...I suppose we’re playing right into his hands then.’

‘This was your idea, Kiske. I’m just playing chaperon.’

Ky paused.

‘It’s probably about time I gave him some attention, all things considered.’

‘Ugh.’

 


End file.
